Hard Rock International is set to be the latest gaming company to enter Puerto Rico.
The casino operator announced an $850 million plan to build Hard Rock Hotel & Casino San Juan in the island’s capital city, which the company said will be the first integrated casino in Puerto Rico for a complete travel-entertainment experience. Hard Rock and its partners, Misla Hospitality, Stonecrest Investment Management and The Interfin Companies, intend to begin construction in mid-2026 with the aim of opening the resort in 2029.
The San Juan resort, which will host approximately 415 rooms, 58 suites and 186 branded residences, will be the latest in Hard Rock’s line of hotel and gaming venues worldwide. Last summer, the company opened its first Canadian fully integrated casino resort in the capital of Ottawa.
Hard Rock Chief Operating Officer Jeff Hook called Puerto Rico a natural extension of its existing North American footprint.
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said the project, which will be located adjacent to Old San Juan, will open up “a world of possibilities for economic development.” Hard Rock estimated that Hard Rock Hotel & Casino San Juan will create more than 2,500 direct construction jobs and 1,250 permanent team member opportunities once opened, as well as forging strategic partnerships with the local community.
“This significant $850 million investment, in addition to generating jobs and becoming another attraction for the island, helps continue positioning Puerto Rico as an ideal destination in the Caribbean — a destination for tourism, living and global investment,” she added.
Gaming companies ramp up Puerto Rico presence
Puerto Rico currently has 16 licensed casinos, all situated within hotels and resorts. Since sports betting at casinos was authorized in 2020, sports betting operators including BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel and IGT have opened retail sportsbooks at some of the venues.
Most recently, DraftKings opened a sportsbook at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel in November 2025 in partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, marking its first foray into Puerto Rico’s gaming market. DraftKings said at the time it was also planning to offer online wagering in Puerto Rico, pending regulatory approvals. Puerto Rico only allows residents to wager with online platforms, limiting visitors to the island who want to bet on sports to retail sportsbooks.
Around the same time as that DraftKings opening, BetMGM, which has had a sports betting presence in Puerto Rico for years, added a new retail sportsbook at the Mayaguez Resort and Casino as part of its market access deal with Casino del Mar at La Concha Resort.
FanDuel also offers retail wagering in Puerto Rico, while PrizePicks plans to go live there after becoming the first daily fantasy sports-first operator to gain market access to the territory.
